Although the invention is clearly not limited to such an application, one application thereof is in connection with an erectable baseball card. In an earlier patent, U.S. Pat. No 5,259,133 (Burtch), in which one of the co-inventors here is the patentee, there is described a "pop-up" display device which includes an erectable pop-up display portion that is erectable from a planar configuration, in which the device resembles a baseball card or the like, to a display configuration or state wherein an action figure such as a baseball player "pops up" from the baseball "card" and is displayed. As explained in that patent, baseball cards are very popular in the United States and throughout the world, particularly with younger fans, and many of these fans also collect similar cards involving sports such as football, basketball, hockey and the like. Such sports cards are typically flat, i.e., two dimensional, cards containing a photograph of a particular player together with identifying information on one side and further information, such as the birth date, home town, team or teams played with, and playing records of the player, on the other side. The "pop-up" display device of this earlier patent provides added interest as compared with conventional cards because of the pop-up feature.
As indicated above and explained in more detail below, the present invention generally relates to a display device which provides a periscoping action in the transformation thereof from a flat configuration to an erected, display configuration wherein a display portion or panel is supported by an erectable base. Patents of interest with respect to display structures including related base constructions include the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,142,826 (Rosello); 3,226,863 (Southard); 2,449,911 (Roth); 2,311,218 (Fandrich); 2,530,950 (Ebert et al); 3,092,051 (Nichols); 2,720,046 (Decker) and U.K. Patent No. 881,755 (Hunneman). The U.K. (Hunneman) patent discloses an erectable display device including a display portion that undergoes a periscoping action when the device is erected from a flat configuration to a display configuration. In general, the other patents disclose display structures including a base in the form of an isosceles triangle in end view and including central upright support elements (e.g., the Rosello and Nichols patents), and/or which define a slot or opening (e.g., the Roth, Decker and Fandrich patents), adapted to support an advertising display member, e.g., a display card or the like (or in the case of the Nichols patent, a calendar pad). In the display device of the Ebert et. al. patent, an upright element defines a "poster" while in the Southard patent an easel-type support is provided which includes an extendable and retractable "tab." A further patent of general interest is U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,641 (Showers) which relates to a collectible card device including a sliding insert.
As discussed below, a further aspect of the invention concerns the provision of a display device which, in addition to serving as a display function, also acts as a package or covering for a substantially flat or planar element to be displayed, such as a compact disc. Representative patents relating to such packages include: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,188,229 (Bernstein); 5,460,265 (Kiolbasa); 4,709,812 (Kosterka); 5,085,318 (Leverick) and 5,101,973 (Martinez).